The anti-schistosomal benefits of garlic and allicin compared to praziquantel

A study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine has found that garlic and allicin can potentially be used for the treatment of schistosomiasis.

A team of researchers at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia examined the potential antischistosomal and anti-inflammatory properties of garlic extract and allicin on liver fibrotic markers in mice with schistosomiasis in comparison to that of praziquantel drug.

The research team grouped the mice subjects into seven groups. Six groups were infected with the parasite Schistosoma mansoni and were given either garlic, allicin, or praziquantel.

A day after the treatment, the team euthanized the mice and perfused them for worm recovery. They analyzed the liver and intestines of the mice for parasitological and histological assessment.

In addition, they evaluated the pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression.

Based on the results, the administration of garlic and allicin to the infected mice significantly decreased the number of worms.

The garlic and allicin treatments also resulted in the reductions of serum concentrations of liver fibrosis markers as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The garlic and allicin treatments were as effective as the praziquantel drug.

The findings of the study suggest that garlic and allicin are promising agents for schistosomiasis treatments because of their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties.